Tag Archives: History Teachers

Educator Horatio Strother published volume about Underground Railroad

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Educator Horatio Strother of Connecticut published a highly-acclaimed volume about the Underground Railroad in Connecticut. Photo: Wesleyan University Press

Many excellent educators have also authored influential books. One of these was Horatio Strother, a history teacher who published a highly-acclaimed volume about the Underground Railroad in Connecticut.

Horatio was born on Feb. 1, 1930, in Harlem, New York. As a very young child, his family relocated to Middleton, Connecticut. There he attended Woodrow High School. In addition to his studies there, he excelled in athletics, including football and track and field. In fact, he he set a state record in the broad jump. In 1950, Horatio enlisted in the US Air Force and served four years of active duty in the Korean Conflict.

When his military service was completed, Horatio earned his Bachelor’s degree in History in 1956 and his Master’s degree in History in 1957, both from the University of Connecticut. During college, he was a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the National Horos Society of History.

Once he earned his degrees, Horatio taught briefly at Killingsworth Elementary School. In 1959, he transferred to Nathan Hale-Ray High School in Moodys section of East Haddam. There he taught history and served as the Chair of the Social Studies Department. Later, Horatio taught history at South Central Community College in New Haven, where he earned a promotion to Assistant Professor.

Horatio spent years conducting research and collecting oral history interviews related to the Underground Railroad in Connecticut. This research culminated in a scholarly work that was published by Wesleyan University Press in 1962. The volume, regarded as the definitive text on the Underground Railroad in Connecticut, is still in print and is held in the collections of nearly 2,000 libraries around the country.

Sadly, Horatio Strother drowned on Sept. 14, 1974, while swimming in Hidden Lake near his home. He was only 44 years old. To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, click on this link to the Haddam Killingworth News.

Governor Michael Dunleavy of Alaska was once a history teacher

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Former high school History teacher Michael Dunleavy currently serves as the Governor of the state of Alaska. Photo Credit: The Hill

Many excellent educators also go on to successful careers in politics. One example of this is Michael Dunleavy, a history teacher from Juneau, Alaska, who currently serves as the Governor of the state.

Michael was born on May 5, 1961, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Once he graduated from Scranton Central High School in 1979, he enrolled at Misericordia University, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in History in 1983. He completed the requirements for his Master’s degree in Education and his teaching credential from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in 1991.

Michael was working at a logging camp on Prince Wales Island in southeast Alaska when he accepted a position to teach within the Arctic Circle in the northwest part of the state. He invested nearly 20 years there working as a teacher, principal, and school superintendent. He also served a stint as the Director of K-12 Outreach through the University of Alaska Statewide. And he is the former Program Manager of the Alaska Statewide Mentor Project.

While working in the north, Michael married Rose Newlin, a Native American of Inupiaq heritage who was born and raised in the small community of Noorvik in Alaska’s Kabuk River Valley. In fact, the population there is only 700 people. Together, the couple have three children.

In 2004, Michael and his family relocated to Wasilla, where he founded an educational consulting firm and worked on several statewide educational projects. He also served on the the School Board for Matanuska-Susitna Borough, including a two-year stint as the organization’s president.

In 2012, Michael was elected to the Alaska State Senate on the Republican ticket, and served there from 2013 to 2018. While in the Senate, he served on the committees for  Education; Judiciary; Transportation; and Finance. He also served as the Chair of the Educational Transition Team, and he was member of the Subcommittees for Education and Early Development; Fish and Game; Administration; and Law.

Next, Michael was elected the Governor of Alaska in 2018. In 2022 he was re-elected to the office, and he continues to serve in that role. During his terms, he has placed focus on effective pandemic response, fiscal responsibility, crime prevention, and the energy issues that are particular to the state.

Teacher Carter Godwin Woodson: The Father of Black History

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Carter Godwin Woodson, the American school teacher who created Black History Month, an annual celebration of the many outstanding contributions African Americans have made to our country. Photo credit: Public Domain

This February, educators all over the country are sharing Black History Month with their students. The observance is an annual celebration of the many important  contributions African Americans have made to American society. But did you know that Black History Month, itself, was the brainchild of a brilliant African American teacher?

Carter Godwin Woodson (1875-1950)  is credited with organizing and advocating annual Black History Month celebrations in American schools, starting in 1926. Certainly this is an admirable accomplishment in and of itself, but there is so much more to learn about this outstanding educator.

Did you know that, as a youngster, Carter was forced to work on the family farm rather than attend school? Nevertheless, he taught himself to read using the Bible and local newspapers. He didn’t finish high school until he was 20 years old. Did you know that he once worked as a coal miner in Fayette County, West Virginia, and then later went back there to teach school to the children of Black coal miners, serving as a personal role model for using education as a means to get out of the mines? And did you know that Carter taught school in the Philippines, and then became the supervisor of schools, which included duties as a trainer of teachers, there?

This Chalkboard Champion was one of the first to study African American history, to collect data, oral histories, and documents, and to publish his findings in a scholarly magazine he published, The Journal of Negro History. For these accomplishments, and many more, Carter Godwin Woodson has been called the “Father of Black History.”

To read more about this fascinating historical figure, check out the chapter I have written about him in my first book, Chalkboard Champions.

Teacher Anthony Gonzales garners 2022 Humanities Texas Award

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History teacher Anthony Gonzales from San Antonio, Texas, has garnered a 2022 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award. Photo Credit:

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work with young people. One of these is Anthony Gonzales, a history teacher from San Antonio, Texas. He has garnered a 2022 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award from Humanities Texas.

Anthony has been teaching history John Marshall High School in the Northside Independent School District for the past nine years. During these years, he created and inaugurated the Mexican American Studies (MAS) course, which offers the students the opportunity to study their own experiences and discuss topics they feel may be overlooked in a traditional history class, explains Anthony. “MAS students improve their critical thinking, analytical, and leadership skills because the course provides the opportunity to explore ideas relatable to those students,” he continues. The course is so popular that it has been expanded to other high schools throughout the state.

In addition to the MAS course, Anthony also runs a popular after-school program, the Mexican American Studies Student Association (MASSA), an enrichment program which explores the literature, art, music, current events, and cultural events of the Mexican American community. The participants even participate in community service projects.

And as if all this were not enough, Anthony serves his school as the faculty advisor for the Academic Decathlon team. Under his expert leadership, Marshall High has garnered five regional championships and placed in the top three in state-level competition twice.

The Humanities Award includes $5,000 for the honoree and an additional $1,000 for his school to purchase instructional materials.

Oregon’s Gwen Bartlett earns 2023 Regional Teacher of the Year award

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High school social studies teacher Gwen Bartlett has earned a 2023 Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year award. Photo Credit: The News Review

There are many excellent educators that work in our nation’s schools. One of these is Gwen Bartlett, a high school social studies teacher from Oregon. She has been named a 2023 Regional Teacher of the Year.

Gwen, who first considered a career in journalism, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon. After her college graduation, she took a job at a public relations and marketing company. But after doing volunteer work with young people during the summer, she became interested in a career as a teacher. So she went back to school, earning a Master’s degree in Education from Portland State University.

Gwen launched her career as an educator in 1998 when she accepted a position as a social studies teacher at Roseburg High School in Roseburg, Oregon. She still works there today. She currently teaches US History and Advanced Placement US History. She says she strives to make her classroom a safe space for dialogue and discussion, she attempts to make the past relevant to students today.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Gwen has also been her school’s Head Track and Field Coach for six years. Gwen says that track was an important part of her high school and college experiences, and it’s important to her to share that with her students.

The Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year awards honor exemplary educators in every region of the state. Candidates are recognized as being exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled public school educators in grades Pre-K through 12. A total of 16 teachers have been selected from across the state of Oregon to receive the honor. In addition to the recognition, Gwen received a $1,000 cash prize.

To read more about Gwen Bartlett, click on this link to an article about her published by the Douglas Education Service District.